1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to coatings and more particularly to the method of coating a substrate with a marbleized coating.
2. Background of the Invention
Various types of coatings have been proposed and used by the prior art for coating substrates such as fiberglass substrates and the like. A very popular coating for a fiberglass substrate is a polyester coating. The polyester coating has been commonly referred in the trade as a gelcoat coating. The gelcoat coatings have been used on a variety of fiberglass substrates such as boat hauls, swimming pools, spa pools, sinks, bathtubs, shower stalls and the like. Many other uses of gelcoated fiberglass have been used in the past for a variety of applications too numerous to mention.
Although gelcoated fiberglass provides a very strong and durable surface, the gelcoat layer will degrade in time. The gel coat will degrade through normal wear or may be scratched by sharp, metallic instruments and the like. In addition, the gelcoat is degraded by ultra violet light present in normal sunlight. Finally, the gelcoat coatings will oxidize with time thereby loosing the shiny and smooth appearance.
The prior art has realized that a second gelcoat coating may be applied over the first gelcoat coating to restore the original shiny and smooth appearance of the fiberglass structure. The second gelcoat coating may either be applied by brush or roller or in the alternative, be applied through a spraying device or the like.
It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the application of a second gelcoat coating in this manner totally prohibits the application of multiple colors to form a marbleized coating in the second gelcoat coating.
Some in the prior art have cast structures such as bathtubs, spa pools, sink shower stalls as well as swimming pools with a polyester material to have a marbleized coating. The marbleized appearance is accomplished by mixing a first portion of a polyester material having a first color with a second smaller portion of polyester material having a second color. The mixing of the second material into the first material is not fully completed such that when the mixture of the first and second colored materials are poured into the mold, a marbleized appearance is produced by the mixture. Although this process works satisfactorily for the casting of structures, this process is totally unsuitable for the application of a gelcoat coating to an existing fiberglass or other substrate.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a process for coating a substrate with a marbleized polyester coating on a pre-existing substrate.
Another object of this invention is to provide a process for coating a substrate with a marbleized polyester coating which may be adaptable to a wide variety of colors.
Another object of this invention is to provide a process for coating a substrate with a marbleized polyester coating which may be achieved through the use of a conventional paint roller.
Another object of this invention is to provide a process for coating a substrate with a marbleized polyester coating which may be applied by a semi-skilled person.
Another object of this invention is to provide a process for coating a substrate with a marbleized polyester coating without a substantial increase in the cost in the coating process.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the present invention. These objects should be construed as being merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the invention. Many other beneficial results can be obtained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the invention with in the scope of the invention. Accordingly other objects in a full understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention, the detailed description describing the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.